– UFC PRES DANA WHITE ADDRESSES ROSTER CUTS

by Jeff Cain – MMAWeekly.com
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has made several cuts from its fighter roster in recent months including Travis Lutter, Jake O’Brien, Joe Doerksen and “The Ultimate Fighter” season six finalist Tommy Speer, among others. UFC president Dana White addressed the downsizing in mixed martial arts’ biggest promotion.

“It’s nothing abnormal at all,” White told the media via a UFC 84 pre-fight conference call. “At the end of the day, the UFC, like I say all the time, it’s the place where all the best fighters in the world fight. And after you lose a few, or whatever, you have to go back down and get some wins and come back.

“The guys who are really dedicated to this sport, and they make the cut, they go and get more wins under their belt and end up coming back.”

He explained, “I can’t keep everybody under contract because the way that we do our contracts, depending if you’re one of our big stars, we’ll have you locked up for six or eight fights, or whatever it might be. They’re under long-term contracts.

“Other guys that are trying to make their way up to be Sean Sherks or B.J.s, or whatever it is, they’re under a three-fight deal, or a two-fight deal. Some of them are under one-fight deals. It depends.”

The UFC roster is a revolving door where those who stay have to prove their self-worth when the Octagon door closes.